Heaven and Hell are Here and Now


“A soldier went to a sage and asked, ‘Is there really a paradise to live for and a hell to avoid? I sincerely request you to favour me with a clear answer.” “Who are you?” asked the sage. “I am a veteran soldier who has been honoured several times, but I am not satisfied. I am not fulfilled.” “You, a soldier!” exclaimed the sage, “Who would give you the honours? You look more like a disappointed beggar.” The solider was...

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There’s no place like home


For most of this year friends and family have watched me flitting around three countries trying to make a first home for my husband and me. I knew 2014 would be a difficult year, as we consolidate the scattered lives of two adults “of a certain age” from three countries into one. I had no idea! Some things in life just take time. Many times what you want, as clear as you may be about it, just doesn’t happen right away. And getting from here to there takes effort, energy and...

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12 Steps to Create a Life You’ll Love to Live. Step 9.


What do you do when you achieve something? What does it take for you to stop and appreciate who you are in your world, on your street, in your chair and what you bring me into the world just by being you? When do you have the hardest time sitting still? I myself have plenty of difficulty here. It’s always easier for me to just keep moving, keep pushing, keep reaching for the next thing. Keep creating. But that’s a bit like reaching for more food when I’ve not eaten what’s...

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A Moment is a Treasure


Some days I just feel so much love for the Earth. Today I was out for a walk, because the sun was out for a few minutes this morning. I had a plan to go one way and got to a turning point and turned a different way. I thought I would come back by way of the village, and instead I turned toward the beach. I was looking for windsurfers. But when I got to the beach, there weren’t any. So I had this huge expanse of desolate, isolated beach with nobody on it. And it was low...

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Creativity, Mindfulness and the Malicious Post


I may have cracked a rib. Last Sunday evening, I was on my way home from the movies. I had just seen Woody Allen’s new film, Midnight in Paris, which features a star-struck Owen Wilson wandering around the streets of Paris counting his creative blessings. I had a decidedly more urgent stride on for my walkabout, on that lovely June evening in Nice. The sun was on the horizon, the air was cooling down, and my osteopath had instructed me to do more walking (for my...

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